Virginia Woolf in the French Imagination (Routledge Auto/Biography Studies)

This book explores a wide array of literary productions authored by French-speaking writers in which Virginia Woolf appears as a biographical subject or a fictional character. The ensemble of bio/fictional narratives reveals how Woolf’s ideas and ideals resonate with French authors and common readers; they inform us about Woolf’s iconicity and the universal values she stood for, which mirror current literary, cultural and political concerns and debates in France. Based on a close examination of twenty-five works published between 1956 and 2023, and authored by writers with eclectic professional backgrounds, the book surveys various portraits of Woolf as a feminist; a troubled genius prone to bouts of madness; a gifted innovative writer carried by the flow of her creative process; a woman in love; a competitive sister; an overprotected wife; a delighted sightseer in France; and a tormented, suicidal figure. Woolf’s numerous representations as a character in French literature attest that she has acquired a reputation outside the English-speaking realm and has the capacity to adapt to other literary and cultural backgrounds.